Helping Farmers to Protect Farmland in Prince Edward County | The County Foundation

The County Foundation hosted an information session at the Bloomfield Town Hall on March 11, 2023 with Martin Straathof, Ontario Farmland Trust Executive Director, and Don and Deborah Hudson of Valleypine Farm in Prince Edward County. Case studies illustrated how farmers can protect their acreage for farmland in perpetuity and gain tax credits on their property.

The session was recorded for the convenience of those who could not attend.

“I simply want to thank all those who enabled the presentation in Bloomfield Town Hall this past weekend by the Ontario Farmland Trust. It was an excellent presentation on an issue of significant importance for the County and for the rest of the country. I have rarely been to a presentation that was so well given, and where the questions were answered in detail. I think that everyone benefited from the afternoon. Thanks again for making this particular speaker available to all of us.”
Louise Bazett-Jones

"Investment in farm land preservation is fundamental to sustainable food production. As stewards of the land, this is our commitment to the next generation. We can rest easy with the knowledge that our farm will remain farmland and protected habitat, forever."
Don and Deborah Hudson, Ontario Farm Land Easement Donor

A Response to a Worrying Trend

From 2011 to 2021 Prince Edward County lost 8.23% of its cropland, or 7,105 acres (Farmers Forum) while the number of farms in the County fell from 477 to 375 over the same period. (Statistics Canada)

Agriculture and forestry represent nearly 10% of businesses in the County and contribute 8.5% of the County’s employment according to The County Foundation’s Vital Signs report which tracks key indicators of social and economic health in Prince Edward County.

“The typical, or median, age of our farmers is 59 years and they are wrestling with developing succession strategies. The County Foundation thinks the Ontario Farmland Trust provides them with one alternative which can also protect farmland in the County more broadly.”
Howard Whittaker, County Foundation Board Member